A perfect white laced shirt that works so well with her hairdo. Update: Sadly I think she is wearing real fur.

Second update: Liz: To say that only vegans are allowed to voice their disapproval of the fur industry is nonsense. These animals are born into captivity, living in the most heartbreaking conditions imaginable, some of them having legs and ears chewed off, for the sole purpose of making luxury products. While I am fully aware that a lot of cows, goats and sheep (not to mention chickens) are living in horrible conditions waiting to become food, I do believe that that is a separate (but equally important) discussion. We gotta change the world one issue at a time, and fur is at the top of my list right now.

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136 Responses to “LACED UP”

Hi Hanneli,
Sorry this comment comes a couple years late but I just found your blog and it’s so awesome to see a fashion icon like yourself against fur!! Thanks for voicing your opinion on it! I can’t believe so many people (it seems) in the fashion scene still wear fur even though they know how these animals suffer! But it’s great to know there are people who care too!!
Thanks for your inspiration!
Ainsley

She looks gorgeous but you are so right! I only use faux fur, I care a lot about animals, although I’m not vegetarian because I really love meet :/
but I really care about their conditions and at least in what concerns to clothes, etc I refuse to use that kind of things! Even if I was a billionaire I would buy faux!

Thank you Hanneli for giving everyone the opportunity to discuss these topics here.
In other blogs, especially THE big swedish one, the girl wears fur coats all the time, and people are just going “awwww” and “so cute and warm” about it…if you post anything that criticizes, your comment just gets deleted by her.
So thanks again for keeping a blog what it’s supposed to be: a place where people can exchange their opinions!

There is a difference between goat, sheep, cows, reindeer and rabbits, and foxes and minks. The animals in traditional husbandry, like cows and sheep are social animals, they live in herds, these are animals one can more easily give proper living conditions on a farm (not that they always get good living conditions). And at-least in Norway these animals roam free in the summer (not always cows, but at-least reindeers, sheep and goats). I feel no problems with eating meat from these animals, but norwegian sheep are not normally used for fur, the sheepskins one can buy in Norway normally comes from Australia and New Zealand, but from what I have understood, sheep in Australia and New Zealand has rather good living conditions as well. Reindeers are used both for their meat and their fur, and they live a good life in the free.

Foxes and minks on the other hand, do not naturally live in herds, they roam alone, and thereby, when farmed, need to be kept in separate cages. And in this way they do not have the chance to develop their natural instincts and behaviour, and therefore they suffer more when farmed.

That said, I used to have a fox hat, it was the warmest, and most practical hat I have ever had. In a country where the temperature sometimes goes down to -25 C (-13 F) it makes sense to wear fox fur, in warmer climates, it is a pure fashion statement, and unnecessary. In colder climates it is the very best material to keep warm and dry.

Liz – Your comment is absurd. If only true vegans can be anti-fur, does that mean you can’t be against drink driving if you have ever gotten a parking ticket? Can’t be anti-smoking if you ever had a puff? Kudos to you Hanneli for your measured and articulate reply.

THANK YOU for your added comment regarding fur! I am in the fashion industry and fur disgusts me. It feels good to know someone else feels that way and voices their opinion. So many people keep their mouth shut. HAAAAATE IT.

@Katarina’s comment that care-free, happy, grass-eating sheep nowadays only exist almost solely in children’s books. There are places where sheep still live outside all year round, one of these places is the Faroe Islands where a Faroese brand called Gudrun&Gudrun uses wool and skin from free-grazing sheep for their collections of sweathers, coats etc, their webpage is: http://www.gudrungudrun.com. As consumers we have the power and are obliged to make sure that the products we buy, be it cotton or leather or fur, are made under decent circumstances!

“when the fur is finally peeled off over the animals’ heads, their naked, bloody bodies are thrown onto a pile of those who have gone before them. Some are still alive, breathing in ragged gasps and blinking slowly. Some of the animals’ hearts are still beating five to 10 minutes after they are skinned. One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog on the heap of carcasses who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and stare into the camera.”

Hanneli, I am so glad and proud that you are taking a stance on fur!!!! 98% of the fabulous fashionistas out there don’t give a rats ass about what kind of little animal suffered through a short and undignified life for the sake of their vanity. It’s horrendous! When people don’t have a stance on the subject, it’s only due to ignorance. (it’s bliss, as the innocent smile of this chick proves)
Klem,
Unni

Hanneli, I commend you for starting a debate about fur. I agree with Doxiesrule, we can’t all necessarily go so far as to be vegan but we need to take things one step at a time, and the way some animals are killed for fur is really disgusting and horrific (although I am aware that the meat industry is not exactly humane either for the most part). Although we will never all agree, at least you are not just vapidly saying “isn’t she cute in her lace and fur!” – you have made some of your readers think about where what they wear comes from, and that’s more than most fashion bloggers do! Good work!

I’ve been looking for a warm winter coat all autumn and it looked like I found the perfect one at Woolrich until I found out that the hood is lined with racoon dog fur. So sad and unnecessary! It’s a decoration on the hood for crying out loud, not even for warmth … Did not buy it and will write to them about my decision.

This makes me feel so much better, knowing that I am not the only one completely heartbroken to what is happening to these poor animals for the sake of fashion industry. It gives me hope that things might one day change! Thank you Hanneli, this made my week! Love the blog! xx

Well animal rights is a good battle. We forget that unless all of us can buy couture, of the rack H&M, Zara, Gap etc are all made in country where human right are awful.
How about the people picking cotton in the worst of conditions.

They are people slaving so we have closet full of 20-70$ clothes.

Please let’s not make everything black and white.

If you are vegan good for you.
What is the next step for our fellow humans.
Are you buying from mainstream store and brand or making, buying your clothes from equitable, organic fabric

Love the look, but there is NO excuse for wearing that fur, and I agree with Hanneli, We have to change the world one issue at a time, and fur is at the top of my list right now as well. Tusen takk for at du bringer opp dette temaet Hanneli !! Great blog !

Also–if you must have a garment that is real fur, vintage fur is a much better option. You are not supporting the growth of the fur industry if you are buying furs made thirty years ago from a pawn/vintage/thrift shop.

There are also tons of options for synthetic furs that look amazingly real. You can find many options for faux fur and other cruelty free options for apparel here:

Being an animal rights activist or a vegan is not all or nothing, and it is this notion that dissuades people from being one. If you would like to help the environment, just do it in any way you can. Hannelli, while you use leather and consume animal products, you are doing something to help animals by not wearing or endorsing fur. It is these small actions that can make an enormous difference. If you are a true animal activist, you are happy that someone with a voice and an influence in the fashion industry is saying no to fur, which is what Hannelli is doing.

I am a vegetarian, but I do purchase leather goods and have one jacket with fur trim on the hood. However, I do not purchase cosmetics or toiletries that have been tested on animals. I buy cage-free eggs only. If there is a vegan option on a menu, I will order that if it sounds good to me. If everyone can just do something small, it will make an enormous difference. The most important thing about consuming animal products, if you have no intention of ceasing your use of them, is that you educate yourself as much as possible about where your meat, dairy, or cosmetics are coming from.

Your words are so accurate, you see I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina where the leather industry is very important is obvious that the cow is killed not only for the skin but also for the meat and other things. But really, creating animals just for the insane fur issue is an aberration. With all the textile tecnology available lately the fashion industry should stop this insane killing….

Hi,
Thank you for opening thsi topic to discussion. My mom is a vet and I know for sure how fur and leather are different……..

YOU SKIN THE ANIMAL WHEN ALIVE TO HAVE GOOD FUR (you know, to have it so soft, shiny, and gorgeous).

You dont have to skin the animal when alive to get leather products.

And I think this puts an end to all dilemma. There is no comparison. You may or not be against leather, eating meat/consuming animal products. But please be aware that fur is a totally different level of cruelty.

Not really Eli, the picture is what got this discussion started. And the discussion is important.

Sasha, please read carefully before making a comment. I’m not saying eating meat is OK. But that does not mean that I will become vegan either. The discussion about animals/fur has to start somewhere and it’s better to take a stand than not take a stand at all.

Well I’m against new fur, because of the conditions in which the animals live, but i think that vintage fur is absolutely okay though, i mean, the animals are not going to ressucitate if nobody wears vintage fur. I think fur isn’t as bad in itself but more the way it is “produced” these days, this is really something that nobody should support. I’m also against fur made out of the skin of animals that wouldn’t be eaten anyway. So actually I only think that vintage rabbit fur is okay.

Props to you for taking a stance against fur, and taking the time to answer back to ignorant people trying to “shush” you because you´re not vegan! In Norway, the debate is raging these days as well, as I´m sure you know, and a ban against fur farming is finally in sight. A little goes a long way and even small steps help! I´m proud of you.

i appreciate your “second update”, especially since i think exactly the same. but, still something bothers me. isn’t it a bit hypocritical to post such a photo, having thousand of comments saying they love it blablabla and saying the fur issue is a top of your fight list? sorry but it’s a little hard for me to understand this one.
sorry if i made some mistakes, english isn’t my maternal language

I believe posting a picture of a beautiful girl wearing 35 little animals is contribuating to keep fur as fashion. Im sorry, but if you are really against it, you would not have postet this picture. The discussion could be held withhout this picture. PS. I like your blog alot.

There are some animals that are treated well by their owners before they become fur coats etc. I am so fed up by people being mean towards those who wear fur – the only thing that might be close to as warm as fur are goose feather jackets, and a goose’s feathers are sometimes plucked when the goose is still alive (so why aren’t anyone mentioning that?). Making faux fur is also very harmful on the environment. I don’t mind people wearing fur, but I still care for animals and their living conditions. Why couldn’t this be a discussion on how we can ensure animal care and safety, and not a discussion about forbidding something that has been a natural element of human lives since the very beginning?

I am pleased to see someone in fashion actually making comment on the fur issue – it is everywhere and no longer that expensive. I personally have a problem with animals treated poorly and then killed, not the end purpose, i dont eat non organic meat at all and would love it if i could buy animal product ie leather that i knew had lived the same way – seeing as i cannot i dont wear fur but i do wear leather as those animals are already dead. It would still be better if the leather had traceability. Doing something is always better than nothing, those to be really admired are those that do everything ie vegans and they really get torn apart probably by the very same people who call you a hypocrit for only doing so much. Something is always better than nothing and just because you support the right to fair treatment to animals also does not mean you dont for human beings. Love your pics!

I respectfully disagree, too. Hanneli didn’t go anything wrong, and she obviously meant well. Hanneli, I think you are doing a wonderful job running this blog, and the styles & images are far more sophisticated than many other fashion blogs nowadays…but you must be aware there are many aspects to this complicated issue, and you must be really careful before making a public statement, or you are bound to run into trouble. Among the regular visitors of this site, some are doctors, some lawyers and educators, being careful of what you say will only help you. Your blog and business will be more successful when you have good credibility in your words.

The campaigns against real fur is based on the belief of ending animal suffering. If one believes being bred to produce fur is miserable, how can he or she say being killed for meat is okay? even if the animal lived a carefree life on a big farm, at the moment of being slaughtered, the poor thing wouldn’t feel pain, fear and despair? ….it’s the worst kind of suffering possible. A nice life lived simply cannot justify it. To say “you cant wear fur but I can eat my meat” is a double standard and logically unsound…

The truth is, whether you eat meat or not, it’s a personal choice and should be left to the individual to decide. So is wearing fur. The last thing we need is a celebrity saying something because he or she heard from someone else and thinks it’s cool. you are better than that. Hope you will continue to grow and post more beautiful pictures for us.

Good on you for speaking out about your feelings about fur! It is such an issue that divides people (as you can see from the comments) but I have an even greater respect for you for sticking up for what you believe in!

I am against animal cruelty in every way, so it is great to hear that someone so fashionable and influential feels the same way!

I respectfully disagree. Animal products are used in every context in our lives. The issue that youre talking about isn’t fur, its about fair conditions for animals even if they will eventually be used for human consumption. To say fur is wrong, is not the same as saying that poor conditions for animals are wrong. Furthermore no one is going to disagree with you when you take a stance against fur, no one want to kill cute soft things that remind them of their own offspring. Why don’t you fight for the fair treatment of sharks or tuna, or better yet, other human beings?

Why don’t we all quit trying to make everyone believe that their belief is the “correct” belief, and love fashion and appreciate an image for what it is! We are all women who love fashion, let’s unite as women instead of trying to tear each other down! Everyone is entitled to feel the way they chose too!

I am shocked to see the amount of people who enjoy this blog but feel it necessary to say negative things about the blogs owner!

Hanneli, I think you are the bomb! Eat meat, wear leather, and continue to post beautiful images!

Why are some people saying if Hanneli takes a stand against fur she can’t eat meat and wear leather? It’s great that she is actually taking a stand where so many other people in her position and with power like her aren’t taking any stands at all. Go Hanneli!

I am sure you have eaten meat before and worn fur or leather..so re examine what you are saying. You are really a hypocrite. Vegans do not wear leather or animal made items. You have photos wearing leather shorts..hmmm are you confused?

I have loved your blog for a long time now and have often been tempted to write something but never more so than now.

Alot of my thoughts and feelings have already been expressed so there is not much more to say. I love that you are making a stand of the issues around wearing fur but I also feel that simply posting this image (no matter how incredibly beautiful this girl is) it is in a sense promoting the wearing of fur.

But on the other hand initiating this discussion is awesome as I might allow people to reconsider the terrible practice that is fur farming.

Hanneli, I am with you all the way!! I have seen the images of animals soley bred and raised for making fur coats etc. and it is so heartbreaking. I am vegetarian but do wear leather shoes and bags. I would never push my beliefs on anyone – but being informed and aware is something that eveyone needs to know including the real truth about the fur industry. Just to to Peta’s website: http://www.peta.org/ and you will find many videos and discussions relaying to this issue.

No need to accuse Hanneli of hypocrisy for wearing leather or eating meat. Different people draw the line at different points across the spectrum of how animals are treated and there is no need to carry one’s viewpoint to the nth degree and equate eating meat or wearing leather to wearing fur.

At one end of the spectrum are the ladies who support the fur industry – which is indescribably cruel to the lives it creates and tortures. At the other end are the vegans who do not eat flesh.

The fur-wearers are unquestionably adding to the ills of the world and the vegans are unquestionably heroic in their attempt to minimize harm. Most of the rest of us fall into the grey area in between.

Interesting discussion. I’ve been thinking about this myself and I see your point, Hanneli. But in my opinion, if you advocate this then it is also your responsibility to ensure that every leather item you purchase REALLY has been produced as you describe it should. Otherwise, well you’re just being a little hypocrite.

Nevertheless, I think your point is valid and that it is an issue that should be risen in the wider media too. If there is real demand for leather goods that are manufactured from animals that are already being bread for food purposes and lead a “happy” life until they are killed, then more producers will pay attention to this and inform customers on where their leather is sourced from, and so the choice for the customer thus becomes easier.

Personally, I seldom eat meat because, honestly, I don’t think we need to eat it as much as we are these days accustomed to. There is room to save some animals and the environment. But it’s not my place to moralize on it because I still love leather shoes, bags, jackets etc.

Hanneli,
love your photos and your blog. Always plenty of inspiration to collect here! I could not agree with you more on the fur issue: Breeding animals, in those conditions, in order to make them into bags or vests, is part of an industry I choose not to support or contribute to.
Thank you for voicing your opinion!

Here, here Hanneli!
I congrat you for your position towards the (non) use of fur.
I found it concise and reasonable and you explained perfectly well the significant differences between the use of fur from “fur-farmed” species/animals and the use of leather/fur from animals normally farmed for their meat.
I’m a biologist with some work experience in animal behaviour so I know what I am talking about.
One can also go a step further (one should really!) and only get/leather/goat-sheep-cow-rabbit fur items from sustainable breeders/farmers with certified licencing concerning animal welfare laws/rules.
We should demand the fashion companies/brands to have some official certification over these items.
I think the spanish brand Zara already does…
Congratulations, miss!
Ana Curto, Portugal

As i realise that i might sound too harsh, let me clarify that a. Animal suffering is an issue that enrages me and makes me really sentimental and b. That one need not be a radical veganarchist to aknowledge the terrible way animals are treated by humansworking in the food and clothing industry, and try not to spread misconception and half-knowledge.

I hope you do realize that care-free, happy, grass-eating sheep nowadays exist almost solely in children’s books. Try hormone-injected, artificially inseminated (so that they produce babies and milk and all-year round), badly treated and kept in dirty, tiny barn (so that they DON’T run around causing their meat to become hard). That, unfortunately is the awful truth. Considering the amount of information that internet can provide, thinking that the meat you eat or the sheepskin you wear comes from a beautiful farm where animals and people live happily in perfect harmony is naivety and plain ignorance. People should know about that.

Well, agree with what you say but then what about rabbit fur ? We eat rabbits here in France, rabbits are “very cute” and I wouldn’t want to eat one but then again rabbit fur is so common and rabbits are killed for their meat…so I just bought a leather/rabbit fur jacket the other day and I feel very silly :S

hanneli, i’ve been following your blog for some time now but never felt the need to comment until i saw your comments to this post in regards to the appropriation of fur. it is fashionista’s like yourself who try to minimise their impact on the planet and (attempt to) influence/educate others which make me unembarrassed to love fashion as much as i do.

the fur/leather issue has always been a contentious one and i, myself, am a vegetarian but continue to buy leather products because i believe it is a much more environmentally sustainable option. faux leathers do not age in the way real leather does- they simply disintegrate (and often very quickly). it is sometimes very difficult to justify some of the fashion choices we make, but i believe you need to stick to your guns so good on you!

But…how do you know all the leather used for your bags and shoes comes from animals killed for food? It is very easy to avoid using leather if you are willing to sacrifice some stylish items.

Hanneli, your point would be stronger if you simply didn’t wear any fur or leather. I am not saying “become a vegan”- eating serves a necessary purpose. But you cannot possibly know the origin of all your leather bags and shoes? Some of those animals surely led horrendous lives, as horrendous as animals used for fur.

Well Liz, I’m not judging. Not wearing fur does not need to black or white. I try to the best of my knowledge to not wear anything that has been bred only to become a bag or shoes and for sure not a coat. What I want to achieve by mentioning it, that I wished it was not real fur, is to make people aware. No one has to become vegan just to be able to say that you don’t support animals bred solely to make fur. That’s all. (If you have actually been to a place where they breed these animals you’d understand. It’s really sad.) I wear fur from sheeps/goats as it’s better that someone makes a coat out of their fur after already killing them for the meat.

Sasha: No killing is 100% ok. But since the beginning of the human race we have been killing animals to survive and that is still who we are. There is a difference between killing an animal that has been in a cage alone (so the other animals wont scratch their fur up) just waiting to to die to become a fancy coat, to being a sheep that is eating grass and running free, having a quite nice life which eventually ends in becoming meat for us. Then, when it’s already been killed for the meat, why throw away the fur when it can be made into something useful?

I wonder if the fur is vintage perhaps? I don’t mind that quite as much. I wear vintage pieces from my gran, and I think this has inspired me to hunt up something dreamy and lacy to mix them up with for evening…

the lace is so pretty but can’t stop thinking about how much I’d be sneezing near someone wearing that. i think it’s bad to wear real fur in general but i wish people would realize there’s some people with bad bad allergies and asthma out there who can’t be near it anyway, sigh…

Tonio, how can you not care what the kind of fur the vest is made of? That’s horrible! Killing animals for stupid reasons like retrieving their fur for fashion pieces is seriously damaging to our environment. It’s upsetting and stupid to buy real fur, anyway, because faux fur can so easily replicate the real product.

Hanneli—I love your blog and it’s SO REFRESHING to hear your stance on fur. Yes, the girl in the picture looks very cute, but that’s no excuse to wear real fur! When you iterate back to the unglamorous place that the fur came from, it’s no longer very cute at all.

I need to comment this. Why is everybody always talking about fur, and the poor animals, when nobody (!) ever mention the fact that maybe the animals used for leather have also had a very tragic life?
Everybody thinks that it is perfectly okay to wear leather – lots of leather, but apparently everybody has found out that it is a bad thing to wear fur …
To me this seems a little weird!

WOW, I love her vest, is really amazing, I don´t care if it´s faux or real, Is soo cool with that lace shirt, (well is not lace, but you goot it.)
Love pale hues, but also and autumn very colorize!! like THIS